Listen to Women Entrepreneurs Who create and grow thriving businesses in the middle east.

﻿We talk about what its really is like to be a Women Entrepreneur in the Middle East. Real Discussions with real insight. We interview Women from across the region, from Algeria to Oman. We find out how they run their businesses, the challenges they face and celebrate the successes they have had.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

'Do what it takes to get the job done' - this is the motto of Robyn Sokol, Managing Director of Emerald Events and Exhibitions.

I love how the driving force behind her starting her own company was her clients. Before she got started they could see her abilities and strengths but she felt she lacked the confidence. Today Robin is a fully fledged business owner, with some amazing events completed, works with some very prestigious brands and she can't wait for how the next years will role out! Read More & Listen!

I'm delighted to introduce you to Mariam Shibib the CEO and Founder of the Pomegranate Institute, a language institute at its core but so much more than that too.

Mariam story is a great example of someone who has become very clear on her purpose and her own why! Its a complex journey to get there for each of us but she's found her story and knows what her passion and direction is. Read More & Listen

I was delighted to have MC back on the show - I loved our previous discussion onSuccess Depends on Mastering Emotions. MC Lessard, is an Emotionologist. A specialist title that I'd only recently heard of. When I met MC I was confused and intrigued by her title. Why would one want to visit an Emotionologist? But the more I listened to MC it became even more clear why her expertise is so important today.

One of the topics we spoke about was our relationship with Food and our emotions, something we are all familiar with. MC took me an a educational and entertaining journey of getting more conscious with my eating. She introduced me to a four part strategy to help me deal with emotional eating. I was very surprised to hear her first tip but you know what it totally made sense. Read More & Listen

#112 'Learn to be comfortable with your pricing strategy and believe you are charging what you are worth' says Maria Pearson, CEO of Grow-me, Dubai, UAE.

Its a true under current of women in business and I suffer from it too - its that voice in your head that says 'you are charging too much'. Maybe you are more attuned to your pricing strategy and know what you are worth but I don't think I'm alone when we talk about the struggle of charging for your value of business you give. We recognise we do it but lack the confidence to change it.

This is where Maria Pearson walks into my life. Maria Pearson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Grow-ME. An impact development consultancy aimed at helping organisations connect people performance to business results. She is also the creator of the initiative 'Woman-able' - a platform to help women entrepreneurs of the UAE grow their businesses. Read More & Listen

I'd like you to meet MC Lessard, an Emotionologist. A specialist title that I'd only recently heard off. When I met MC I was confused and intrigued by her title. Why would one want to visit an Emotionologist? But the more I listened to MC it became even more clear why her expertise is so important today.

We are emotional beings and the way the world works today we are expected in some ways to disconnect from our emotions and just be. Can you remember as a kid when your parents might say 'shake it off' or your buddy might say after an emotional break up, 'get over it, move on' but its these kind of 'brush it under the carpet' attitude that means you don't deal with the emotion, it just sits there and quietly festers, waiting for you to deal with it. That deal with it moment can be totally unexpected and hit you at a time when you just don't have time to deal with it. But I know life doesn't always work like that. Talking with MC I discovered that we should embrace our emotional nature. Don't be scared of it or shy away from it as most of us do, but totally turn and face them. Discover what the emotion means and follow her 3 step strategy to help you move on from each emotion. Read More & Listen

#110 'Give more in value than you take in payment' says Tara Rogers-Ellis - Co-Founder of Mojo PR & board member of Reach Mentoring - (Dubai United Arab Emirates)

I'd like you to meet Tara Rogers - Ellis - The Co-founder of Mojo PR and Board Member of Reach Mentoring. Let me start with this - I openly asked for a job after this interview. I didn't get one and I know little about Public relations but, really, that would be a lovely company to work at. Tara and her team have such a collaborative energy that I felt completely at home there. Tara is the kind of boss I would like to have. She's been in the industry for some time and she's basically seen it all, she's calm, she's a communicator and she's a solutions person. These are, in my opinion, all the attributes of seasoned entrepreneur. Read More & Listen

Meet Ayshwarya Chari - the mum business woman behind Kidore - the UAE's one stop online kids' shop where everything is under AED 100 or US$27/-. What a refreshing business opportunity to create in an economy where we are usually flooded with high end designer brands which not all of us can afford. Read More & Listen

#108 'Looking after our smile should be part of our regular beauty routine' says Maissa Fattal, A beauty Entrepreneur and founder of Ibtisama (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

'Your smile is a reflection of yourself, it's what people see first, why not make it part of your beauty routine' - this is what Maissa Fattal, founder of Ibtisama is sharing with us. She's building a business here in the UAE that makes us all feel great about our smile. Her teeth whitening products are chemical free, organic and 100% safe. Maissa recognized that there was a gap in the market for cosmetic treatment for our teeth so she has spent the last year building a business around this. In the early days she had to spend a lot of time educating her audience that her treatment was not like going to the dentist but more like going to the spa or the beauty salon. Read More and Listen

#107 'If you are not sitting at the table then you will be on the menu,' says Assia Riccio - Smith - Founder of Evolin' Women - Dubai, U.A.E.

Meet Assia Riccio - Smith, the founder of Evolvin' Women. A platform designed to help the women of the hospitality industry connect, grow, learn and excel. A platform where knowledge experts can help the women of the hospitality industy evolve. Assia recognized that as women in the hospitality industry climbed the ladder there was less and less of them. She recognized there was a gap and a disconnect between women in senior hospitality positions and those in junior positions so she decided to create a space where there could be a space to exchange learning, insight, experiences and advice.

Assia has this awesome quote which says 'if you are not sitting at the table then you will be on the menu'. Its a phrase that can reflect anyone in any industry. She's basically saying if you are not present, focused and engaged in your company's business goals then you could miss out not only in opportunities but in personal growth and connection. Read More & Listen

#106 - ' We Help Leaders Solve Those Things That Keep You Awake At 3 A.M. In The Morning! Says Claire Donnelly - Co- Founder Of MHC Consulting (Dubai, UAE)

Meet Claire Donnelly, a solid HR Consultant with over 30 years experience in the profession. In her words, there isn't a HR problem she hasn't seen before. She is the Co-founder of MHC Consulting who's mission is to give business owners back their freedom and allow them to grow their team and business in a sustainable, manageable and more enjoyable way.

Claire is first and foremost a solutions provider. MHC Consulting aims to go into a business, help discover the root causes of key problems the business owner maybe suffering and help solve them. They help business owners recognise when they are stuck and spending too much time working in the business as opposed to 'on' the business. A crucial difference. Read More & Listen

#105 - I build businesses to run as well oiled machines,' says Warsha Joshi - Founder of PlatinumVA.com (Dubai, UAE)

Meet Warsha Joshi, a season entrepreneur and corporate career lady. By the age of 26 she had two businesses. In 2010 she started her current venture, www.PlatinumVa.com to provide Virtual Executive Assistance to regionally based consulting firms operating in the GCC.

She helps corporates and business professionals manage their administrative tasks so they can focus on their primary objectives. Warsha is all about working smarter and through her team of virtual assistance she helps her client's achieve their goals and objectives. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Ever thought about writing a blog? Channelling your knowledge into a space for all to read? A space to share your ideas, thoughts and opinions and help others form their opinion on a matter? Well if you have then this might be a great place to start because Nicholla sat down with Dubai blogger, Helen Farmer - founder of the blog www.themothershipdxb.com to learn more about her blog and what she has learnt along the way.

www.themothershipdxb.com, is a blog that takes a very honest look at living, working and parenting in the UAE, covering everything from family friendly activities to real issues facing mums like us. She been in the Middle East for ten years, working in publishing and broadcasting, and has one daughter - and another baby on the way! The Mothership won the Time Out Dubai Kids award for Parenting Blog of 2016. Congratulations Helen! :) Read More & Listen

Health is the new Wealth. This is a phrase that I've heard a lot recently. Many of us are recognising the need to upgrade our lifestyle with cleaner eating, more nutrient rich foods, more exercise, a better work/life balance and a positive mindset. These are the corner stones of a happy and fulfilled life. But.... we know that this is also difficult to achieve. We live such busy, stressful lives with work and family committments, food on the go, driving from point to point and a real sedentary lifestyle that it is often hard to see the 'corner stones' of life that you want, clearly. But here is where my next guest has a solution for you!

Meet Gillian she is an inspirational health practitioner, entrepreneur, facilitator, manager and motivator. She's the lady behind a new revolution in internet wellness and fitness called 'Strippedin6'. Stripped in 6 is a health and fitness company based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In a partnership with Vogue Fitness, one of the fittest teams in the world at the 2016 CrossFit Games, they have developed a system of nutrition and exercise aimed at making you fitter and healthier so that you can love your life. Read more & Listen

#102 - Meet Shelina Jokhiya - Founder Of Decluttrme.Com. Her Story From Lawyer To Professional Organiser. She Has A Natural Talent For Organisation, It's Her Passion. (Dubai, U.A.E)

Shelina Jokhiya - Founder of Decluttr Me

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

The thought of an uncluttered life with less stuff does sound awesome. Think of the benefits of it, less to clean, less to organise, a home or office system that benfits all, and ultimately the opportunity of time back in your space again. However, the actual process of decluttering journey does feel a bit painful, time consuming, some feel anxious just thinking about it and some think, 'my house will always feel cluttered. However, the decluttering journey doesn’t need to be as painful as some make it out to be. Get yourself a declutter professional. Someone who can walk into a room and just see how things could decluttered and reorganised. Read More & Listen

#101 'At 36 I'm now accepting who I am. Two Times Cancer survivor, Anorexia and self hatred were my past but i'm not playing victim,' says Serene Ghandour, Body builder and Personal Trainer (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

Her own adversity has made her so super aware of her own mental and phyisical being that Serene is an excellent teacher to help you push through your own personal barriers and mental restrictions we put on ourselves. Believe me, when I say a conversation with this girl will pull you out of any 'bad day' you are having and give you that nudge to stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Listen to Serene's story and you will understand why I say that. She's so motivating, so empathetic, so engaged with the human spirit that I sat there lost in her conversations and at points lost where I was on my question sheet.

Her life has been tough. She's seen cancer twice and she's only 36. She was anorexic as a young girl. She endured self hatred and a negative family dynamic and she says she was a bully. She's been busy. Read More and Listen

I remember when I started my first Facebook Group back in 2010. I couldn't decide if I should have done a group or a Fan Page. I remember researching trying to change my group to a fan page and couldn't do it unless I started again! anyway... 6.5 years on I'm glad I didn't. That group I created called 'Muscat - Where can I find' (MWCIF) is now over 44,000 big and its purpose is to help people find what they are looking for in Muscat. simple! Since then that group concept has been replicated in a number of cities and probably by members in cities I don't even know about.

I love Facebook Groups. I think they are just great spaces to build relationships, find answers, share with a community and feel connected. I'm part of many Facebook Groups myself and they too have helped me learn, grow, test and discover so much new stuff I may have not have found. I love it when I find someone who has asked a similar question - it reminds me that I'm not alone. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Salma and Veronique are the women behind 'The Pathway Project' a Dubai based business focused on Executive Leadership and Career Development Coaching.

Salma started The Pathway Project in 2012 and Veronique joined in 2014. They were friends first and joined forces to form a strong and dynamic partnership. Finding and choosing a business partner can be a difficult assessment but in this episode we explore their partnership to find out what worked and how they deal with difficult patches.

We also explore their unique business focus. Both women have a passion and drive to transform individuals to perform to their highest potential by getting them to connect back to their purpose and their 'why' within an organisation. They are about creating courageous conversations and help people make the right decisions about their career future. Read More and Listen

#99 - Is Podcasting Right For Your Business?

​Most of us today are knowledge seekers. We are in the pursuit of bettering ourselves. We want to empower ourselves so we can grow, make better decisions and ultimately live a lifestyle we dream off. As people we are constantly in a pattern of learning. New life chapters start everyday and each come with a new invisible heading with a collection of invisible bullet points under it. Unfortunately life isn't like a laid out curriculum, though sometimes I wish that it was, so I can tick it off as read, learnt and apply. Anyway.. the point being is we are knowledge seekers and these days we have many ways in which to collect that knowledge. We can read, watch videos or listen to podcast!! And this is what this podcast/blo is about because if you are a knowledge sharer and want to add value to your business then podcasting could be your way of streaming up to date audio knowledge to your clients and prospects. Lets explore the reasons for why podcast is right for your business. Read and listen here.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Andrea Ekstrom is a Swedish journalist, TED Fellow, author and digital futurist. He has written a bestselling book about Google – and has since been a leading commentator on all things digital around the world. His focus is on educating us on working towards digital equality and bringing back the human element back into our digital lives. He wants us to be aware of how we marry people, people behaviour, digital information and technology to achieve our goals but also how this influences our decision making. Our discussion today focuses on 'digital influence and digital equality. I'm asked Andreas to help us become more aware of the power the big digital players have on our lives.

Andreas is coming to Dubai on October 30th for an event with MENA Speakers who are a Dubai based business, run by my Business colleague, Saana Azzam. MENA Speakers is the leading speakers agency in Dubai. They provide highly experienced and professional public speakers with the motive to educates, engages and empowers the audience. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Lesley Lyle is a Applied Positivity Psychologist and the Director of Positive Psychology Learning.

Remember the movie - 'Inside Out' - the movie looks at the human emotions and how they impact our decision making. Lesley has spent her career helping people find ways to be happier and recognising when they are happy. Happiness does always seem like such a difficult feeling to acquire particularly when we are wrapped in stress and anxiety on a daily basis.

In this episode we talk about what happiness looks like, how it feels and how we can work to harness that emotion. The Learning Curve Podcast interviews many women entrepreneurs over the last 18 months and happiness is always something they strive for. Lesley shares that we should seek happiness in all that we do and not leave it for the 'BIG' chapter changing moments in our life. Read More & Listen

#96 'My passion is to get to the heart of the matter through my film making,' says Urooj Azmi - Student Fellow at Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Qatar

Urooj Azmi
Inspiring Film Maker from Pakistan currently Studying in Qatar

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Urooj Kamran Azmi is a senior at Northwestern University’s campus in Qatar, majoring in Communication with a Civic Engagement certificate. Urooj has a passion for film making and community development.

Her dream role is to be a social entrepreneur and work with minority groups and disadvantage communities and encourage them to use the power of media to help them grow, be inspired and success. She loves to produce powerful and story telling content which gets to the heart of a matter. She's wants to understand behind the 'why' of many opinions and pull them all together into film pieces that digs deep and shares the true story behind the people in the story. Read More & Listen

#95 - 'Never Give Up. There is more than one way to get something done,' says Sahiqa Bennett- Founder of Searchie and Searchie. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Sahiqa Bennett - Founder of Searchie & Searchie (Dubai, UAE)

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Sahiqa is the Founder of Searchie and Searchie, a head hunter who is passionate about helping clients find a new solution to their stressful recruitment process. She started her company back in 2014 and can be found across the globe.

What I loved most about Sahiqa was her adaptive leadership style, her being one with the goal and connecting with it to make it happen. It takes strong mindfulness and out of the box thinking to lead a team with that thinking. She very clear about her passion, her identity and who she can help. With these grounded ideals it make the rest of her work easier. Her clients will get her and people will want to work with her. People like to work with people who know exactly what the mission. I believe Sahiqa has done that. Read More & Listen

#94 'Don't Worry About it Being Perfect Just Get It Going & Learn From Your Client Interactions,' says Julie Beeton - Founder of Beeton & Co (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Julie Beeton
Founder of Beeton & Co
(Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Julie is the Founder of Beeton & Co - a company that assists you with your education and immigration requirements for Canada.

A corporate lawyer by profession Julie shares a great overview of her business and how she is passionate about helping people make the right life decisions for their families and their kids education. Making life changing decisions takes courage, knowledge and patience and somoone like Julie helps makes this decision making so much easier. Read More and Listen

#93 - 'Im striving to Connect with Entrepreneurs head of me as well as support Entrepreneurs who are behind me,'says Carrie Brummer, Founder of Artist Strong. (Muscat, Oman)

Carrie Brummer,
Founder of www.ArtistStrong.com (Muscat, Oman)

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Carrie shares a really great overview of her business and how as she has grown, she’s become more and more clear about her purpose and her direction. Clarity and direction can sometimes really overwhelm any great business idea and so the person can be left feeling deflated or misdirected. Great ideas often don’t take off because you don’t know how to level up your business idea. Through my conversation with Carrie you will hear about how Carrie identified the pain factors she solves through her business and how she spends her time serving, learning and listening to help her clients and her community unleash their inner artist and embrace their creative interests. Read More & Listen

Have you ever thought about the correlation between a weight loss journey and entrepreneurship? I've recently connected the two. If you spotted the correlation yourself, then awesome and I'd love to hear how you see them syncing up. So summer 2016 for me is about 2 key objectives, a) starting my business, and b) weight loss and getting my fitness back. To achieve both I've been spending the first part of the early morning on the treadmill where for one hour I walk and run to achieve around 9000 steps. My aim is to average around 12000 daily steps. This morning effort really boosts that number to achieve my daily step count. It also helps with the 2nd objective of starting my business by helping me get clear, having a healthy mindset and achieve my daily 'to do' list about what I need to get done. Apart from this morning exercise boost, the majority of my day is very sedentary. I spend a chunk of time Read More & Listen

#91 - My vision is to become the biggest exporter of Middle East voices to the world,' says Saana Azzam - Founder of MENA Speakers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Saana Azzam.
Founder of MENA Speakers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

How would you like to go to an event where the speakers or trainers were from the region? Where they 'get' the culture and the conversations. They aren't from across the globe but locally grown, influenced and driven by the issues and drives we have here. Well this is where my next guest, Saana is putting a marker. She is the founder of MENA Speakers, a boutique speakers bureau providing the market with moderators, key note speakers, individual trainers and corporate trainers to the business landscape. Her focus is on the Arab voices and talent from this region and her vision is to become the biggest exporter of Middle East Voices to the world. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

The Middle East also has a weight and obesity crisis. Yes its not just the western world which scores high in the obesity crisis. Over the last two decades there is increased consumption of fast foods and sugar-dense beverages (e.g., sodas). Simultaneously, technological advances and a more sedentary lifestyle have lead to a decrease in level of activity This is where my next guest Ola is deeply involved in. She the Founder of Quality of Life Nutrition and Eating disorder centre and the founder and owner of Primrose Health Shop. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Happiness! Its an interesting word and a word that weirdly enough can cause a lot of stress too. How many of you say this...' Ill be happy when...' or 'When I get passed this moment I'l have time to be happy'.... weirdly enough most of us put happiness on the back burner and only create happiness when we've achieved certain things. And then when we do achieve our goal we could land up feeling bitterly disappointed because how you feel and the outcome are dissimilar. Happiness can seem like a battle of wills BUT... it doesn't have to be that way. My guest Jo Dee Walmsley is a professional motivational speaker and facilitator of Laughter Wellness. Jo-Dee is helping people in business that face stress and other work-related illnesses, to find better ways to live more productive and healthier lives. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Have you ever thought about the importance of your voice, your breathing and your voice tones when making a presentation, public speaking, in a meeting or even on a podcast? I know I hadn't. In my mind I would just breathe and talk but I have learnt that you can achieve so much more from just taking a moment and getting your breathe under you before speaking. My next guest Jennifer Lang, a Creative Voice and Communications Coach here in Abu Dhabi took me on a journey to explore this subject some more and share her own entrepreneurial journey too.

#87 [Podcast & Blog] 4 Reasons Why Ramadan Is A Great Time For Entrepreneurs. With Nicholla Henderson Hall - Host of the Learning Curve Podcast (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)

The Holy Month of Ramadan started last Monday and for the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world it is the month of fasting and prayer. For those that don't know what Ramadan is, its a time each year when all Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and they must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and drinking alcohol. Its a month of spiritual reflection, a time to look upon ones own activities and question them and reconnect with your faith and cleanse your soul. I'm not Muslim but as I've lived in the UAE all my life, its very much part of my yearly calendar and I find the month very important to my own character and soul. So I wanted to share with you why Ramadan is a great month for Entrepreneurs even if you are not Muslim and how you can make effective use of the time. Read blog or Listen

#86 - 'We are passionate about flexible working for Professional Women in the Middle east,' says Helen McGuire - Founder of Hopscotch Middle East

Founder & Principal Consultant at Pharma Business Partners

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

How many women do you know that used to have a corporate work life pre-babies and kids and now a few years on would love to get back into the game but can't. They can't because full time work in most cases isn't an option. To start with the available childcare options like nursery centres finish earlier than your full time working day allows. Then after that families need to either employ alternative childcare options, which costs more or ultimately take the decision not to work because there is no flexibility. Its a real problem which many women in the UAE face. They want to contribute to the household income but can't a) the household income would just be absorbed into childcare contributions and b) a lot of employers don't consider flexible working options an opportunity and so don't offer it. So what do women do? Well until now most women would just carry on and don't fulfil their own dreams and ambitions. Angry? Probably. Frustrated? Absolutely! Read More and Listen

#85 - 'If you are not learning then you are probably not growing' says Lavni Varyani, Founder & Principle Consultant of Pharma Business partners. (Dubai, United arab Emirates)

Founder & Principal Consultant at Pharma Business Partners

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

If you are not learning then you are probably not growing.. a really great quote from my next guest Lavni Varyani. The Founder and Principle consultant of Pharma Business Partners. As you can gather from the company name this leading lady is working in the pharmaceutical industry and helps pharmaceutical companies break into the Middle East Market, helps create the right strategy for them and helps them with their operations. She's pretty much an end to end business. Read more & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

Ok..so something slightly different this week. I'm the podcast partner for the Womens Peak Performance Summit being held in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 28th May. I have been creating the Women Peak Performance Podcast for the show which has meant I've had the opportunity to speak with all the speakers of the event and get a 'sneak peek' into what they will be talking about. A sort of 'get to know them' before the big day.

At the event we have 8 key 'peak' speakers covering eight key areas of your life from Career to your financial peak. All the speakers are bringing, inspiration, education and action for us to take away and really help move our own peaks in our lives.

But this week it was announced we were going to have Jairek Robbins attending our event, America's hippest Motivational speaker and performance coach. When I was told i was so hoping I could get a short podcast with him and YES I did!!! Read More & Listen

#83 After That Embarrassing Intro, I Need A Great 30 Second Elevator Pitch! with Nicholla Henderson Hall. [Blog & Podcast]

So at the weekend I was badly introduced by a colleague to someone I was very interested to meet. It caught me completely off guard and it didn't leave a great first impression. I realised then that I need to work on my own 30 second elevator pitch. So when moments like that happen again I can take control back. Weirdly enough I had helped in the creation of one for my husband recently and so when he is in a business situation. I think he's got a great one. Here's what he says! Read More or Listen here

#82 - 4 MORE Take Aways On Resilience From My Interviews With Women Entrepreneurs In The Middle East with Nicholla Henderson Hall. [Blog & Podcast]

On the 18th April 2016 I put up an episode called 'My 3 take aways on reslience from my interviews with Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East. As you can see from the image below, the results as I write this blog we are over 2200 downloads!! Clearly this is something that listeners are resonating with. Maybe its the current economic climate or change is heavily in the air this month but this episode has become my top episode and each day there are still downloads being counted. So I thought, so why not do another podcast on another 4. I did have many 'take aways' but I only covered the top 3 - so here are 4 more. Read Blog or Listen Now

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

I was in awe of my next guest Malak Al Akiely. She has so much responsibilities and yet she made it all sound simple and easy. This is a lady who knows how to multi-task, focus and get things done. She the founder and CEO of Golden Wheat for Grain Trading. She's the only women in Jordan who owns a grain company. She is the Co-founder and COO of Feeledu.co - an elearning business focused on STEM education in Jordan. She's a business partner in Ayla aviation academy in Nigeria. She's the youngest member of two economic forums for Jordan's vision 2021, she's launching a 'believe in Jordan' initiative to empower women in business intelligence and knowledge creation. She's a wife and a mum to a 3 year old.Read More & Listen Now

#80 - 'Continue to work on the business, not just in the business.' says May khizam, founder of The Grid Initiative. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

How would you like the opportunity to connect with and listen to key experts in your profession? Ask them questions and really indulge in their knowledge bank. Sounds great right? Well my next guest, May Khizam makes this happen. She brings together knowledge seeker and knowledge disseminators and gives them that opportunity to exchange actionable information. She is the Founder of The Grid Initiative which offers this opportunity via speaker engagements, workshops, seminars and panel discussions. The other cool side of her business is video marketing and she is at the forefront of helping companies leverage this technology. The Grid Initiative works with forward-thinking firms and organizations wishing to integrate narrative-based video communication into their online marketing strategy to share industry expertise and further establish themselves as an authority in the market. Read More & Listen

#79 My 3 Take Aways On resilience From My Interviews with women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East with Nicholla henderson Hall. Founder & Host of The Learning Curve Podcast.

​Failure and mistakes are not a bad thing!! That is the resounding message I'm getting from the ladies I have interviewed. They wouldn't be doing what they were doing if they listened to the negative self talk or were self conscious about what they said or did. When they fail or make a mistake, they just stand up, dust themselves off and travel on to the next 'to do' item from their business plan.

I think that is very powerful feedback and one that I'm slowly coming to terms with myself. At school you are taught to not make mistakes but when you fail your exams or tests, we are taught mistakes and failing are reflections of you not paying attention or studying hard enough. Think of the times you got a big fat red 'F' - on your paper. Its totally demoralising - What do we do with that feedback? We start the negative self talk....Read More & Listen Now

#78 - 'I decided I had to make it work. There was no other choice.' says Tricia Evans, Leadership Coach & Key Note Speaker. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Tricia Evans - Leadership Coach & Key note Speaker

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

We all want to be successful right? We all want to feel secure in our sense of purpose, direction and our goals. But lets be honest how many of us actually go off track often? I know I have ... many times! There's nothing wrong with it as we are all human at the end of the day but its so awesome when you can sit down with a leadership coach and them help you reconnect with where you are now and where you want to go 'with purpose'. Tricia is that awesome person. She dives into your work and experience detail, she cuts out the clutter and helps you find your values, your brand and helps you take the next step. She was the first Business Coach in Dubai in 1993, and has now coached over 6000 Managers in the Middle East. Read More & Listen Now.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

I LOVE it when I have conversations with young, vibrant and ambitious young women who do not have limiting beliefs or are glazed over by 'what has happened before'. Rahmeh is that 'driven' woman who is powering through the social norms and making change. She's adapting technology to meet social changes, she's riding her own learning curve and taking the best of what she is learning and taking action. Rahmeh is a young pharmaceutical student who happened upon an problem she faced and realised she could make a difference to many more women too in Jordan. Rahmah Abu Shweimeh is the Founder, Team CEO and Social Communication and Networking Strategist for SheCab, a Jordan based taxi service run by and for women. As both for profit company and female empowerment initiative. SheCab offers a safe and trusted transportation service for Jordanian women and female tourists, creates new job opportunities and encourages advocacy among Jordanian women. Read More & Listen

#76 - 'there are so many ideas out there, you just need to start talking to people,' says Natalya Koroleva, Founder & CEO of Wellclubs. (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)

Natalya Koroleva - Founder & CEO of Wellclubs

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​Who LOVES to be pampered? That feeling of bliss and relaxation after you have had a great thai massage or the light and clean feeling after that facial or wax treatment. Isn't it just wonderful?! Well my next guest, Natalya Koroleva, is the Founder & CEO of Wellclubs, a wellness & Beauty E-Commerce Platform. They are helping you connect with your next wellness treatment easily and more efficiently. From a customer point of you WellClubs, helps you search and find treatment you need at the time and cost you want. From a partner point of view, her platform streamlines the business to customer connection and opens up another revenue stream. Read More & Listen

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​Three words I would use to describe Rola and those are Driven, passionate and curious. She's one lady that loves a challenge and this is totally reflected in her achievements. She is the Co-founder of MICEit.co - an online solution for event bookings & Management. She's the Founder of Friendture, a one-stop location platform for group activity creation, invitation and management. She's a founding member of Girls in Tech Jordan AND she's an Hadafi Ambassador, a Women Entrepreneurship Programme. Read More & Listen

So last week - I had a new 'first' in my life! I walked across the desert from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi. We were supposed to do 120km but unusual stormy weather across the UAE cancelled 2 days of our journey. The experience was such a mix bag of emotions. From exciting and nerves at the beginning, too 'I don't want to do this anymore' in the middle, too feeling overwhelmed and teary that we had achieved our objective at the end.

The Women Heritage WalkThe Women’s Heritage Walk (WHW) from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi honors the women of the United Arab Emirates who made this journey twice a year not so long ago. Forty-four women retraced this historical trek. Expat women accompanied Emirati women walking in the footsteps of their ancestors who helped sculpt this country. This experience was a celebration of the past and an invitation to shape a vibrant future.

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​Cherine has such a beautiful energy. She has learnt so much through her own entrepreneurial journey that she opens up and shares with us. She shows us her vulnerabilities, her fears, struggles, her Vast Vision, her power to push self doubt to the curb and live the life we feel most passionate about. Read More and Listen

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​When you think about taking the plunge to entrepreneurship, what are the thoughts that come into your head? Obviously there is a lot of success, passion and positivity, but behind that there's also 'the big fear'. The fear of failure, getting out of your comfort zone, the doubt, the worry. Read More & Listen

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​Victoria's Eureka moment was 'focus everything you do on the clients'. That thinking and direction has guided her through all the work she has done. Victoria Tomlinson is Founder and CEO of Northern Lights PR & Marketing. Victoria's entrepreneurial career is enviable. She's one of the BBC's expert women, she's one of the world's top leadership experts, she sits on a couple of boards, mentors a number of top executives and she's an author. I was pretty impressed! [Her Bio below shares more of her business profile. Click Read More to find it].

I'm always amazed and in awe of people that have the 'let it go and surrender to the flow of life' thinking and are able to talk and walk that path. Carolin is one of those people and with it she not only succeeds in the business world but she's has also impacted many others too. Carolin is the Founder & CEO of two great businesses but deep down she is a teacher, someone who wants to transition energy and knowledge from her or someone she connects with, to you. She loves to empower women and help them on to their road to success. Read More & Listen

#70- 'I'm so happy when people come up to me in the mall and say thank you for helping me find a job', says Elsbeth BlekkenHorst-Tammes, Founder & CEO of Global Women Qatar. (Doha, Qatar)

Elsbeth Blekkenhorst-Tammes - CEO & Founder of Global Women Qatar

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​'I love it when people come passed in the Mall or in a cafe and say thanks for helping me find a job'. Its for that reason Elsbeth loves what she does. She strives to connect Women to jobs in Qatar and further their career.

Elsbeth is the Founder & CEO of Global Women Qatar, Qatar’s first and only recruitment agency to focus exclusively on the recruitment of women. Elsbeth and her partner recognised a gap in the market for a service focused on the recruitment of women. A very niche area but they discovered that companies were looking to employ more women in Doha to diversify their workforce. Read More & Listen

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​How would you make your community more sustainable? Make it not just about creating economic growth and the creation of jobs [which will happen] but more about creating multiple layers of economic, social and environmental value where you and your community all benefit? Does this sound like something you could do or want to be part of?

My next guest, Dina Sherif, is on that mission. She is passionate about finding better ways that serve everyone better and her vision is focused on creating sustainable societies. Her goal is to see her business be leading the way in the commercialisation of social innovations. Read More & Listen

#68 The 4 Super powers of podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East with Nicholla Henderson hall

How many podcasts do you listen too? I bet the number is either none, some or loads!!! Its really fascinating when you talk to people about podcasting and they are either totally into them or haven't got a clue!! Often the cluelessness is based around the 'Why would I listen to them?' or 'Where do I get them?' or quite plainly 'what is a podcast'. Living here in the UAE I have to say the latter of those questions is the most common, but then weird things happen like, I get the opportunity to be part of The National newspaper on podcasting. That was awesome by the way! :) So it really is a 'learning curve' when it comes to podcasting!

So if you are one that sits of the fence as a listener or as someone that could see the medium as a tool then here are my 4 superpowers of podcasts that 'hopefully' will help you jump off the fence to downloading a couple to listen to some or start your own. Really there are thousands of podcasts. I am part of 4 communities on Facebook where there are podcasters producing shows and episodes and nearly everyday we see a new show launching around another niche area. From health & wellness to fly fishing, there are literally thousands of podcasts out there! Check out ITunes or Stitcher and Im sure you will find something you like. Read More & Listen

​#67- 'everyday I go home feeling happy I have changed the life of a young person in algeria' says Leen Abdel Jaber Al Ashhab, Founder & Executive Director of Injaz El Djazair. (Algeria)

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​Yes.. Everyday Leen goes home feeling happy she is making a difference in a young persons life. She's the founder of the Algerian connection for Injaz Al Arab, is a non-profit organization that drives youth education and training in workforce readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship across the Arab World.Read More & Listen

#66 - 'Learning Will always take you to the next Level' says Rana El Chemaitelly. Founder of The Little Engineer. (Beirut, Lebanon)

How many of you would like to see your kid or nieces or nephews or even your friends kids step away from the ipads or computer games and engage in activities like robot building, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and renewable Energy. Interested? I know I was. I like Ipads but they offer no phyisical interaction, my daughter just sits and stares at it and it offers limited sensory interaction because you can' smell or touch what you are working on or viewing. these thoughts are very much similiar to Rana, the Founder of The Little Engineer.

#65 - 'If you want to Be a Diamond, you have to bear the cutting', says Doaa Adel El Eraqy, Tech Entrepreneur & Mentor, Founder of Arab Womenpreneur & Co Founder of She is Back. (Cairo, Egypt)

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​How many tech women entrepreneurs do you know? How many have you read about in the news? Well surprisingly there isn't that many. Type into Google 'Why are there not many women tech entrepreneurs' and you will be quite surprised to learn that there are quite a few articles about it. A tech entrepreneur is someone who focuses their business on development of technology to help solve a problem. Surprisingly there are not many. So when we found Doaa in Egypt, the learning curve podcast was excited because here is a women who is by profession a software engineer AND plans to make it her mission to activate the next generation of arab women in technology - I just knew she needed to be on our show. Read More & Listen

#64 The Five Common Traits Of Women Entrepreneurs In The Middle East. with Nicholla, Podcast host for the Learning Curve Podcast

​The First Women Entrepreneur Podcast in the Middle East.

Over the last year I have spoken to 42 different women on the Learning Curve Podcast. From all walks of life across the Middle East. Each time they have shared their entrepreneurial story, their challenges, their successes, how they organize their day, how they see social media, where they seem themselves on their own learning curve and so much more. It’s been an amazing journey and I feel privileged that these ladies have opened up to me so that more women out their can take their own entrepreneurial journey. Their stories were all so different, so varied, so personal too yet there was a common pattern and this I feel came down to these 5 common traits. Read More & Listen

The 2015 top 5 episodes

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: ​So its been a really fantastic year for the Learning Curve Podcast. We have met and spoken with some amazing women entrepreneurs in the region. They all have created amazing businesses and are also full supportive of more women taking the entrepreneurial plunge.

These 5 episodes below are the top 5 episodes this year in terms of downloads and I wanted to showcase them in a special way.

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: ​How would you like to step out of your comfort zone, do something so distant from your 'everyday', in the pursuit of learning more about yourself and helping you find out if you can push yourself passed your limits? When we live in a world where 'distraction' is deemed normal, how would you like to spend a bit of time focused on one goal and doing that the best you can and know that this will help you both mentally, physically and spiritually. Well my next guest Jody Ballard, is a women on a mission to help you all learn to reconnect with ourselves. To help us recognise that our abilities to heal, push forward and be the best we can be are all within us. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region:​How would you like to have a women by your side helping you build your business and make it the success you have always dreamed about? How would you like to have a women next to you that helps you negotiate better, helps you interpret the feelings and thoughts of the person you are negotiating with, to know if you are heading towards a success conclusion. Well my next guest Arancha Gayoso, is exactly who you will need. Her vision is to become your most trusted negotiation advisor. Read More & Listen

#63 - Persevere, because one day its great & Amazing; the next day you are thinking, 'what am i doing?, ' says Antoinette Chorlton, Fashion & Style Entrepreneur. (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

​​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​How many of you out there feel disconnected with the styles and fashions that you see on the run way? How many of you look at it and think, 'I could never wear that!'. Well my next guest, Antoinette Chorlton wants you to see how runway wear can be 'real wear'. She wants to help women reconnect with their love of fashion and style.

From a young age her dad indulged everything 'fashion'. She shopped with him, got creative and really connected with her style and what would become, 'Antoinette'. But as her working age got closer her dad wanted her to have a proper career and not go down the fashion route. Read More & Listen.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​​In a world where inefficiency can be costly here is a lady who has built her business success of business outsourcing on great advise she received from her mum. Her mum said, 'success is built on systems, efficiency and economies'. This key advise has helped her and her partner build a group of businesses that focuses on scalability,creating efficiencies, streamlining processes and helping people save money.

Anna Heystek is a serial entrepreneur and a business enabler. She has the gift to see where there is a problem and when she sees it, she makes it her mission to fix the problem and make it an efficient working entity again. She loves everything to do with systems, processes, technology, people and people behaviour and loves to take away the pain from people's operational processes. But the journey there hasn't been smooth. She's made mistakes, and had failures but she gets up and does it all again, with all that knowledge and her learning curve tucked in her pocket.

Anna is an inquisitive and driven women who aspires to be a coach and empower people to reach their full potential. She reads lots and has been criticised for being too futuristic with things she wants to implement but like some of her business idols she is full throttle with her passion to build businesses that serve and focus on knowing now what we can do tomorrow. Read More & Listen

#61 - I felt like a caged bird and I needed to fly' says Janine Bensouda, President of Bensouda Consulting.

Janine Bensouda - Founder of Bensouda Consulting

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East.​Here's the thing.How often do you feel that an organisation you need help from doesn't hear you? How often do you feel frustrated and drained from shouting at the organisation. You use all your tools, letter writing, telephone complaining, facebook or twitter and you still feel you are not being taken seriously. You feel they are completely disconnected from you and the 'value proposition' they promise. Well my next guest, Janine Bensouda, feels your pain and has made it her mission to put the 'heart beat' back into a brand so the brand can come back to life and hear you.

Janine is the Founder and President of Bensouda Consulting, a Dubai based business focused on re-motivating staff, realigning business processes for efficiency thus improving the company's overall competitive advantage, relationship with their customers and ultimately their revenues and profits.

In the early part of Janine's career, she recognised the disconnect between organisations and customers and felt she could make things so much better. 8 years on, her business model is a reality and with her team she is reigniting that fire and bringing passion back to brands and organisations so customers love them again.

A mum, business owner and an aspiring triathlon competitor she is honing her skill set to make herself and her life more efficient, she goes deep in the interview and really gives us a window into her life on what has worked and what hasn't so we can maximise our opportunity to learn from this lady on a mission. Listen Now & Read More

​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region

How would you like to have access to teachers and private tutors for yourself and your family? Give you children the best opportunities to achieve their educational success? We all want this. But what if you were not near the private tutors or had location barrier issues? My next guest Thea, CEO and Founder of Teach Me has a solution. Bringing together two of her great passions, education and technology, Thea Myhrvold grand vision is to be the global destination for online education. Think of it as the Ebay or Trip Advisor for Private tutoring.

Along with her team, Thea has created a virtual platform where you can connect to private tutors around the world and help yourself or your children get the education you want. To her education is the grounding every person should have in life and it should be accessible to everyone. In this virtual space teachers and students work one-on-one, in real time using interactive tools so the student achieve their objectives. Its an awesome idea and I think one that is going to go from strength to strength.

At 25, this is Thea third Venture and I don't believe it will stop there. She is blazing a new trail here in the Middle East and making it easier for everyone to achieve their educational objectives and empowering themselves with the tools they need to help them power through their lives. This was an awesome interview where we learned more about her venture, her ambitions, how she's helping people who need more learning support and what she has learnt along her learning curve journey to bring this amazing technology to the Middle East. Listen & Read More Now

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region.

We had the pleasure to have a double dose of entrepreneurship conversation in this episode. A chance meeting through a mutual friend brought these two ladies together to create and get going with a new community publication and online directory for Abu Dhabi called Yalla which means 'Lets go' in arabic.

Not shy to stand away from a challenge this Entrepreneurial duo are marrying their passion for creativity with responsibilities to look after their families. Both working mums they saw a gap in the market for a family focused publication. Communication is Abu Dhabi is wide and fragmented so their aim is to make Yalla the 'go to, one stop shop' for all things family linked.

Working as a team to achieve their objectives this was an fun, warm and humorous conversation with two career ladies come entrepreneurs and their story behind where they are now, how they plan to move forward with themselves and their publication and what they have learnt along the way on their own learning curve journey. Listen Now

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region

But ... in this episode I interview Michael. He was recently featured in the local weekly magazine here and I was intrigued by his style of entrepreneurship so I asked him to come one..... rebelling slightly from my niche because I found his story interesting. :)

Michael is the founder and currently a sitting Director of Rise Global, an Australian sports development Consultancy and My Chi Journey a lifestyle, wellness and travel company. Born in Jerusalem to Palestinian parents and raised and educated in Sydney Australia, Michael has called Abu Dhabi home since 2007. An established serial entrepreneur, humanitarian and wannabe football player, he has devoted his life to making the world a better place. His current project is Palestine MMA, a non-profit initiative established to reclaim sports in Palestine as a means in which everyone has an opportunity to excel. In this interview we learn more from the man behind the ambitious plans to build more business and yet stay very grounded in his focus of valuing time with his family over material wealth and work. He had many golden nuggets of wisdom that just resonated with me and I think with you too. All his businesses are a reflection of where he is on his life learning curve and how he has been able to learn, adapt and be intuitive too. A Community connection and people explorer, he a man determined to make give back and flourish in the value he can offer. Read More & Listen

Rea​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: ​Maria Inglis is a Ladypreneur & Co Partner of Advantage Sports UAE is a lady on a mission. She's always been driven by her entrepreneurial spirit which was engrained in her through her family business. Her early career saw her climb the ladder in recruitment and build a business acumen skill set. This year though has been her steepest learning curve. In January she was diagnosed with a form of Leukaemia which could have mentally beaten her but her in built desire to overcome her obstacles and find a way over them has seen her turn her health around and rapidly build a competitive business in Sports & Fitness here in the UAE. In this interview we learn more about how Maria and her husband have taken their business in the last 18 months, what's her secrets to keeping on top of work load and how Leukaemia has made her more determined to see their business grow. You will be pleased to know that she is in remission. Read More & Listen

Read ​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: ​Amira Rahim, Artistpreneur and Abu Dhabi's lady of colour has blazed a trail discovering her artistry signature through colour. Colour has become her healer and her therapy. Her early artistic endeavors were trying to be 'picture perfect' and recreating exactly what she was looking at but this work made her miserable and demotivated. It wasn't until a fellow artist and blogger commented on her use and appreciation of colour which Amira completed resonated with that she realized her relationship with colour was her key to her artistic journey. In this interview we discover more about Amira's Learning Curve of her journey, how she interprets the lessons she has learnt along the way. She share's her project this month called 'Art for Syria' and share's with us why its important not to take yourself too seriously. Read More & Listen

#55 - 'Mentors have been a Key Influence In the development of Nabbesh.com.with loulou Khazen Baz - Founder & Chief Owl of Nabbesh.com - the Middle East's only virtual skills marketplace.

Loulou Khazen Baz - Founder and Chief Owl at Nabbesh.com

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: ​Back in 2012 Loulou won the UAE reality TV show, 'The Entrepreneur' - her prize was Dhs. 1,000,000/- (US$272,000). This took her on the path to creating the Middle East's only virtual skill market place. Nearly 4 years on she has amassed a community of 70,000 freelancers, 5000 customers and over 9000 posted jobs. In 2013 she signed up with Eureeca to help crowd finance the next stages of development of her business. With their help she generate over Dhs. 368,000/- (US$100,000) in funds which was part of a larger round of Dhs.1,1m (US$300,000) raised through private investors. Her ambition didn't stop there. In Feb 2015 Loulou raised another US$1.5m. She plans to see Nabbesh be a billion dollar business within the next 10 years. This is her interview of her entrepreneurial journey, her top business advise and what she is doing to keep herself being inspired and moving forward. Read More & Listen

#54 Women's Heritage Walk 2016. Honouring the Emirati Women that Help Build the UAE. Our Interview with The Founder of this Walk - Jody Ballard

List​The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: ​It was so nice to catch up with Jody again. I just love her energy. She's just one of those people that makes you feel like you can do anything.

We met again to talk about the 2nd Women's Heritage Walk 2016 and find out more from her why she wanted to do it all again and tell us more about this amazing adventure she founded. Read More and Listen

#53 - Jane Ashford - Founder & Director of PRO Partner Group (UAE, Qatar & Oman) 'Life is 10% What Happens to Us & 90% How We React To It'

Jane Ashford. Founder of PRO Partner Group

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla sat down an had a conversation with Jane Ashford, the Founder & Director of PRO Partners Group. An expert in company formation, Jane has gained extensive experience in her field over the past decade. Jane has built solid relationships with trusted partners, global organisations and other professionals within the legal profession. To date Jane has assisted in the formation of over 200 Limited Liability Companies, Representative and Branch Offices in the region. Jane has been recognised for her remarkable skills building relationships and providing excellent client services. Jane is focussed on bringing more businesses to the UAE as well as assisting PRO-Partnership clients to establish a presence in Oman and Qatar. Read More and Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Alexandra Nedellec, the Project Manager for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards are an international business plan competition created in 2006 by Cartier, the Women's Forum, McKinsey & Company and INSEAD business school to identify, support and encourage projects by women entrepreneurs. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Jules Lewis. Founder of Mountain High. On reaching the summit of a mountain on her 40th Birthday, Jules Lewis had a defining moment of clarity; to shape the experiences she had gained in health, personal leadership and self empowerment she had been immersed in for the previous twenty years into a Company where she could inspire, educate and coach people to reach new heights professionally a climb and in the following ten years, has evolved into the most credible company in the UAE dedicated to delivering Group Coaching, Speaking, Retreats and Expeditions. These portfolio of services are designed to complement one other, and are customized to the Company or individuals’ strategy and focus. Jules has led over 50 expeditions in over 20 countries around the globe to include Polar Expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica training multi-national and diverse teams of men and women to embark on life changing challenges incorporating her signature ‘Power of Three’ philosophy. Read More & Listen

#50 Nicholla Henderson Hall. Host & Producer of The Learning Curve Podcast. 'We All Have Our Universal Challenges Which We Work On Using Our Cultural, Family & Social Influences.'

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: So for this milestone interview (50th episode) I decided I would take the microphone and just hit record. I've never done a solo broadcast so the anticipation was quite high. I now know how it felt to be a guest on the show. I decided the best way to do this was to answer the same questions I ask my guests and use that as a catalyst for this solo conversation. So when the energy felt right and my thoughts were clear (not crystal clear ) but strong enough to take me through a solo broadcast then I went for it. This is my down to earth, honest and open look at the entrepreneurial journey from my prospective. Read More and Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Natavan Askerova. Founder & Business Development Director of Acorn Executive Services. They specialise in providing expat services to new expats arriving in the UAE. From pre-move assistance, too school assistance, to car rental services and assistance with administration and visa's. Nata is your personal assistant on the ground. She helps you weave your way through the initial confusion of getting settled and creates clarity and a order to your day so you can get on with the reason why you are in the UAE, ie. your job. Read More and Listen

#48 Maha Al Lamki - Founder & Managing Director of M Co Group of Companies. (Oman)'Put the right person, in the right place'

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Maha Al Lamki, Founder & Managing Director of 'M Co Group of Companies in Oman. Maha Al Lamki is one of Oman’s most successful and trusted interior decorators who draws influence from the world around her. Her use of organic colours and hand-chosen fabrics from around around the world give each of her projects a unique and contemporary feel.As a businesswoman she heads m co, a group of companies that specialise in decor, events and media and digital communications as well as the rental of designer furniture for events and parties. Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Sarah Hawilo, from Lebanon, the co-founder and CEO of serVme, an advanced data analytics software that helps restaurants and bars collect, store, and track data about diners to improve their dining experience. The software enhances and simplifies the venue’s operations, lowers the marketing budget through client segmentation, and ultimately increases their revenues. Read More and Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Arancha Gayoso. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Milvidas, a Executive management training firm. She is a negotiator adviser expert in body language, which is analysing people's feelings and thoughts in order to understand what is beneath the spoken word. This was a great, honest and open conversation with a lady who has brought together academia and emotional smartness to empower women around the world. Read more

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla had the opportunity to talk with Amira Azzouz, Founder and Chief Editor for Fustany.com. A leading fashion and lifestyle portal in the Middle East by Arab women for Arab Women. She is a Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum. She a twenty-something ambitious young lady who has a great vision to make her portal a hub for all things empowering for women. This is her story and her insight into what has contributed to her success of Fustany and her advise for women wanting to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. Read More and Listen

#44 - Saniya Chughtai. Oman based Entrepreneur & Children's Author. 'Your Dream is like a Skyscraper. You are standing on the top of it and all you have to do is JUMP'.

Saniya Chughtai - CEO of Pulse of Life Design House, CEO of The Wadi Tribe & Author of the children's adventure book, 'The adventures of Chee and Dae' Series.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla sat down with Saniya, the CEO of The Pulse of Life Design House and the Wadi Tribe The Author of the children's adventure series, 'The Adventures of Chee and Dae',. Based in Oman, she started her entrepreneurial journey at the tender age of 11 years old where she embraced her dreamer and creativity qualities into creating furniture. She knew then being creative would be her life's work. Today she works on building her business and continue to embrace her love of creative, children and working from the heart. Read More and Listen.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla sat down with Dee. The Author of the book, The Blue Campervan. She's also a qualified Hypnotherapist, trained in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or Tapping as it is also known, as well as Transactional Analysis. I’m also qualified in many other complementary therapies. She's passionate about empowering people and uses her Hypnotherapy and Coaching skills to help wonderful people improve their self-confidence, success, motivation and self-esteem. She also works with people who are experiencing anxiety, stress, depression and panic attacks. Her intention is to help as many people as possible rediscover their zest for life! ﻿Read More & Listen﻿

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla sat down with Azza. Azza Al Mughairy is an Emirati Girl with a collection of accolades on her wall. She's the Ambassador of the Saadiyat Beach Club, a TV Reporter, Radio Host, MC and public speaker. She's used her skill of public speaking to develop her Ambassadorship and BE a recognised and respected person of the local media. She talks about her Journey and her ideas of what makes a success entrepreneurial woman. Read More and Listen.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla caught up with Jacqueline for a coffee and a 'get to know her' session. She is a professional Antique Jeweller & Gemologist as well as being the lady behind the Abu Dhabi Woman's Group Facebook Group. She shares her top advise and insight into helping women discover their own entrepreneurial journey. Read More and Listen

#40 - Sarah Cannata - Professional Writer. Four Great Reasons To Use a Ghost Writer

Sarah Cannata - Professional Writer & Story Teller

Inside This EpisodeOk this isn't an episode about Ghosts, goblins and Halloween this is about the subject of Ghost writing. Sarah refers to being a ghost-writer as someone who is your 'invisible pen'. Someone who you help you achieve your content strategy goals. Someone who 'gets' your passion and can package up your ideas and your key bullet points into an eloquent way that might be more difficult for you to achieve if you are time deficient, writing isn't your forte or even your English is your second language. In this interview we discover the real truths behind ghost writing, What they can do for you and what are the advantages of using them. Go Sarah........... :) Read More and Listen Now

We sat down with Manar Al Hinai who is an award winning Emirati Writer and Communications Consultant from Abu Dhabi. She is the Founder of 'Move' Consultancy and has found her niche in bringing together international tastes with local culture through the medium she has loved since a child. Read More & Listen

Earlier this year I interview Laura Holland, a Dubai based Entrepreneur specialising in nutrition, holistic weight loss & a Well Being Coach. I had read her article in the National and wondered if she could elaborate a bit more on her 6 reason's why you might be struggling to lose weight. I to have had an ongoing weight battle. I consider myself relatively fit but I wasn't losing weight so I want to explore this further using this article as a bouncing board. That is what we did in this podcast. Read More & Listen.

#37 - Eureeca. The First Global Crowd Investing Marketplace. Take your business to the next level with their unique Funding Style.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: We sat down with Ludmilla Figueiredo, the Head of Business Development for Eureeca to find out more about the concept of Crowd Investing and how Investors and business could benefit from this innovative funding strategy. Read More and Listen Now.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Meet Aline Kamakian - Owner of Fig Holding which has established: Mayrig, Batchig, Made by Mayrig, M Catering and K the kitchen. Re-capturing her grandmother's recipes she has carved a career spreading her Armenian heritage and the taste of Armenian food through the Armenian restaurant, Mayrig. She is also the co-Author of the book 'Armenian Cuisine' and now she is working to Franchise her Armenian restaurant and take it Global. Read More & Listen Now

#35 - Jenny Hunt - How to Set Up a Business in Abu Dhabi.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Meet Jenny Hunt, CEO and Co - Founder of 'The GateWay Group of Companies. She is a company formation specialist. She is your professional corporate sponsorship platform for your mainland business in the United Arab Emirates. We sat down to talk about business set up in Abu Dhabi. Listen Now & Read More

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Meet Sana Bagersh - CEO of BrandMoxie, Managing Editor of Tempo Plant, Founder of Tamakken & Chair of the Amcham Business Women. A serial entrepreneur with a passion to bring people, culture, innovation and ideas together. Read More and Listen Now.

#33 - Jenny Hunt 'I Help businesses set up in Abu Dhabi'

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Meet Jenny Hunt, CEO and Co - Founder of 'The GateWay Group of Companies. She specialises in helping you start your business in Abu Dhabi. She fell into this niche business and is successfully moving new companies into the Abu Dhabi Market. This is her story.Read More and Listen

#32 Jo Barnes - 'From Offline Entrepreneur to Online Travelling Entrepreneur serving a community of entrepreneurs who want to increase their sales, leads and their massive disposable income.

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Meet Jo Barnes, the Creator and Founder of Online Marketing Addicts. She's also created, The Social Networking Academy & Jo Barnes Online, Online Marketing Addicts. She helps entrepreneurs and small business owners increase leads, sales and passive disposable income! Using there tested systems and strategies Jo teaches you how to have fun with your marketing campaigns and increase your profits, while working less hours and finding more time to enjoy life! Read More & Listen

The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: The 1st Woman's Peak Performance Summit in Abu Dhabi, Saturday 23rd May. A MUST attend event for all women from all walks of life. Take a step forward into your own personal development. Invest in your future happiness and discover what you can achieve. Read More & Listen Now

Writer, global nomad, artist, a seeker of human behavior, Jody Ballard is the son of a Montana Cowboy who has lived in eight foreign countries. Having moved over thirty times (so far), Jody has emerged not only as a prolific agent of change, but also a master of the inter-cultural and international dynamic. During those three decades journey Jody founded a thriving business, Strategic Wellness Systems, principally dedicated to the five essential components of health: physical, psychological spiritual, relational and mental. Read More & Listen Now

#29 - Laura Holland - You just have to keep moving on your entrepreneurial journey and trust a solution will come'

Laura Holland shares her entrepreneurial journey from Economist to passionate foodie and nutritionist. This is her story and her insight into what makes a successful expat entrepreneur. She has a more holistic approach to entrepreneurship and I think the lesson I learnt from this episode was that we don’t always have to have our foot on the gas and be ‘go go go’ We do need to take a step read more & listen now

#28 - The Awesome 8 of the Social Networks - Rebooted with Keith Keller.

Not sure which tool is right for you? So many to choose from and just can't decide which ones work? no problem. Keith Keller, internationally as the 'Global Twitter Marketing Specialist' and I had the honour once again to have a chat about the social platforms or the 'Awesome 8' as he likes to refer to them. We all like things in bite size informational pieces these days so Keith has done that for us here with a kind of 'roundup' of the tools and some stats and examples around them to help simplify them in our heads. Listen Now

#27 - Annemarie Cross - Great! This is how I get paid what I am worth. :)

Do you worry if you are getting paid what you worth? Do you understand why it could possibly be like that? Do you know how to overcome this issue? Annemarie Cross, Money, Marketing and Mindset Business Coach can help. Annemarie has figured out the formula to get paid what we are worth. You have to listen to this. Stop Self sabotaging yourself and get a pen and paper. Listen Now.

Rasha Hamdan, Founder of Yislamoo, really is a women entrepreneur on a mission. With a love for her culture and her Arabic language she has found a way to express Arabic catchphrases, sayings and styles through a medium that allows her language and her roots to be documented and flourish. She is making it her mission to make Yislamoo synonymous with Arabic greetings and through it she is breaking down barriers and misconceptions about Arabic culture, one cards at a time.Listen now.

﻿Jody Ballard - Recreating history in the UAE and learning from our Emirati Ancestry to help us build a better future.﻿

On March 1st for 7 days, 44 Expat and Emirati Women will recreate history and walk in the footsteps on their Emirati ancestors. Their achievement will be walking the 120km between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. A journey that was done twice a year by the Emirati ladies not so long ago. These ladies will take on this journey led by Jody Ballard, the vision and creator of this journey. This is the interview with Jody who tell us what is about and what it signifies. Listen now.

Annemarie Cross - NO means 'Next Opportunity. Not 'No'.... so don't take it personally.

Meet Annemarie Cross, a seasoned entrepreneur, and a women that is making a difference to many women and their businesses worldwide. A mother of 3, she started with her secretarial business and today she is at the heart of a global community of coaches and has one of the top 25 business podcasts in the world. This is her story and what she has learnt along the way. Listen Now.

Meet Sima, an Arab Woman Entrepreneur and founder of 'eKief', a platform that creates and shares free 'How to' videos in Arabic language. Started in 2012 eKeif has become a very successful platform and tool for the Arab world. This interview shares Sima's entrepreneurial journey from how she started, how she came up with the idea to where she sees her business, eKeif in five years time. Listen Now

Stephanie Ward - How to get your clients to 'Get you'

This is a conversation with Stephanie Ward of FireFly Coaching. Who is a Marketing Coach to Entrepreneurs. We take a deeper look at 'Creating your marketing statement'. The statement that clearly identifies who you are and what you do so potential clients 'get' what you do. Its a critical sentence in this world of flooded marketing messages and one that Stephanie breaks down for us so we can evolve and get on with building our brand and our business. Listen Now.

Meet Stephanie Ward. Expat Marketing Coach to Entrepreneurs. She's originally from #Oklahoma, USA & lives in Holland. She shares her insight and knowledge into what she thinks make a great entrepreneur and how her own experiences have help her become a recognised marketing coach entrepreneur. Listen Now

Going on holiday soon? Looking to connect with fellow travellers? With Outbound you will find like-minded travellers, no matter where in the world you are! Outbound allows travellers to discover and connect with other like-minded travellers. No matter what type of traveller you are, Outbound has you covered. Listen to Ryan Hanly, Co-founder of Outbound show tell Nicholla more about this app, how we can use it and getting started with it. Listen Now